Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-04-29

Under the New Interstate Comnierc q
Inv,


Under the New Interstate Commerce
Law.
The enactment Of the interstate com
merce law gave the railroad companies an
opportunity to throw of the heavy burden
imposed by the practice of issuing free
passes to thousands upon thousands of per
sons The public did not know how great
this burden had become Mr.. Charles
Francis Adamss statement before Con
gressional committee that transportation by
passes on the Union Pacific represented
more than 500. 600 year in fares was
revelation to vast Majority of the people.
But the recent discussion of the new laws
provisions has brought out statistics of the
pass business even more surprising than
those presented by Mr.. Adams. An officer
of the Burlington and Quincy company
says that 20 per cent of his roads passcn
ger traffic last year was "deadhead." The
manager of another western company as
serts that in some seasons of the year 90
per cent of the passengers on his road have
Travelled on passes. There are said to be
| 5000 persons in Georgia who have used
passes for years. Newspapers have recent
ly reported, apparently upon satisfactory
authority, that the Pennsylvania company
not long ago had &C, 600 annual passes out,
and that before the death of the late Viii
liam H. Vanderbilt the New York Central
had issued 30, 900 passes in one year. Re
fore the passage of the law the burden had
been growing, and it is asserted that many
companies sought in vain for some satisfuc
tory method of reducing it, Therefore
they welcomed the prohibition set forth in
the interstate commerce act. owe jump
ed at it, said one manager, because the
practice promised to paralyze our passen-
ger business"
Such was the attitude of many companies
few weeks ago But now it seems prob
able that the opportunity to put an end to
the abuse will not be used as it ought to he
used. There is tendency to continue the
granting of passes in almost all eases that
are not expressly covered by law. The act
declares that it 'shall be unlawful to make
or give any undue or unreasonable prefer
ence or advantage to any particular person,
or to subject any particular person to any
undue or unreasonable prejudice or disad-
vantage in any respect whatsoever 1t also
forbds discrimination in rates as regards
persons lin the transportion of passem-
gers" But there are certain exceptions
specified in section %, wherein it is provid-
ed that nothing in this act shall he con
strued to prevent railroads from giving free
carriage to their own officers and employees
or to prevent the principal officers of any
railroad company or companies from eN-
changing passes or tickets with other rail-
road companies for their officers and EN-
ployes."
1t will be seen that while interstate passes
may be issued 10 railroad officers, no ex
ception is made for the benefit of the fam
lies of such officers. Nevertheless many
t of the great railroad companies are no \
issuing passes for the use Of the families oI
their officers and the families of officers oi
/ other companies. So far as these passe,
cover interstate transportation the ISSUING
and use of them are clearly forbidden. Tn,
companies issuing them are giving spccia
privileges to persons not entitled to then
either in law or common fairness. COntu
4 ued indulgence in this practice will create
an impression that the companies are will
ing to violate or evade the law. We do 10
q think that any exception even as regard
A railroad officers should have been made
l. President Adams said to the committee
IL travel at times in the service of Tn
Union Pacific railroad company and "A
times on my individual business shout,
pay my fare in both cases When trave
/ ON my individual business it is for me t
If pay and when travel for the Union IA
A. cific railroad company should put in
,e voucher for my car fares just as do TO
~ my hotel expenses. But there is no reasn
why other roads should carry me for moth
," ing simply because | am in the service d
e. the Union Pacific
7 This is good doctrine The law does ne
1t enforce it, but its failure to do so furnisht
II no excuse for the granting of interStut
passes to the families of officers.
81 AT first it was proposed that the provi'
y ions of the law concerning passes for intel
T. state transportation should voluntarily /
N extended by the companies to transports
3. ton wholly in one state. Such All eXter
e. sion would have been in accordance wit
r the spirit of the law 1t would have bee
Sc required if the law could have been mad
MS to cover state traffic But the compani,
IN have receded from their original intention
e. and while the practice of issuing passes +,
IN state traffic has been affected by some T.
1t strictions, as n rule it has been decided tin
OF each company shall use its discretion
r. that field. For example, the Massachuset
r. roads have decided that annual state pass
1t may be issued to state officers, members
Id the Legislature, policemen, mayors eli
at marshals, various county officers, landlor
&c of mountain hotels, managers of can
ey meetings, reunions, and picnics, clergym,
'p- and the families of the officers of 9th
IL roads.
II An attempt should have been made
M cut off all free transportation. 1t is
ks evil from every point of view. Who pa
for the transportation of the man vi
travels ON pass Those passengers wI
buy tickets The railroad companys oi
ch GERS simply say to the man who receives
e.. pass 1--WE give you an order that "
,a- compel your fellow passengers to pay
your ticket" As IA rule it is those Who Ii
nj least able to pay who are forced to pay, Il
- it is those who can well afford to pay "
nor are enabled to compel their companions
pay for them. The railroad compane,
said President Adams to the compression
Ut" committee, 'have to make good the |,
thus incurred by charging more to til,
who cannot afford to pay. In my opini
'eu 10 per cent. more has to be charged
pc those who do pay fares to make up
those who do not " An honest Applicant
7 of of the anti-discrimination features of
it'll new law to all state as well as intersti
ur- traffic by railroads is needed.
old
the What Was the Overseer's Name
US, From the lIoyoke, Mass, Transcript
and The body Of poor fellow who met "
in an accidental death was recently sent fr
this city IN "a Narmnnt tnNp XUhapa b.a